


Afterburn

by Rod



Series: Parallel Lines [19]
Category: Veritas: The Quest
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-10 20:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rod/pseuds/Rod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nikko and Cal talk about what just happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afterburn

Well, Nikko thinks, that went about as well as could be expected. Not.

Cal is freaking out big time. The only reason they've got away with it so far is that his father and Vincent were too dazed to notice what was going on, and Nikko runs damn good interference if he does say so himself. See, all that time in boarding schools wasn't wasted after all.

But still, Cal is freaking out. So far Nikko's managed to pass this off as Cal taking the brunt of the electromagnetic whatever it was, and he's praying that no one's going to notice Cal's hands in the few hours they'll take to heal up, but Nikko's getting really concerned about his state of mind.

At least Nikko's in a position to do something about it. He'd expected, given he was the one nearest to being upright, that he'd be passed a shovel and told to dig, but no. Apparently his father's first thought was that there might be more traps like the one they'd triggered, and he didn't trust Nikko not to find them the hard way. Somehow Nikko managed not to point out that he and Cal were the ones who had spotted the last one, and let himself be pushed out of the way with only a token protest. So he leaves Vincent fussing over what of their electronics gear isn't fried, and his father doing what archaeologists do best — dig — and goes to fuss over Cal instead.

Cal greets him with a glare. "I'm taking a walk," he says.

Oh yeah, Nikko thinks, he's really pissed off that Nikko knows anything about this. With anyone else, Nikko would laugh and walk away, secure in the knowledge that he'd got something to hold over them. With Cal, he just gets annoyed that the arrogant bastard will not trust him to watch his back.

Cal's gone several paces before Nikko realises he hasn't made the obligatory smart-mouthed come-back yet. "And after all the nice things I said about you too," he says, loudly enough to make Vincent smirk.

Cal mutters something, but keeps on walking. You're not getting away that easily, Nikko thinks, and jogs up beside him.

Cal glances briefly at him but doesn't stop. "What do you want?" he says quietly, though they're now far enough away that even Vincent's bat-like ears aren't going to hear them.

"Just to talk," Nikko says brightly. He looks meaningfully at Cal's hands. Funny how he'd never noticed how long Cal's fingers are before this, even though he's seen them dancing over keyboards often enough.

"So talk."

And just like that, Nikko realises that he hasn't the faintest idea what he wants to say any more.

"This is what you've been brooding about all this time?" Cal gestures vaguely at himself, and Nikko has to hide a smile. Oh, the ways he's been thinking about Cal! Then his brain catches up with the actual words and he stiffens.

"Hey, I don't brood!"

"No, sitting in the corner thinking so hard I can hear the wheels turning is something you do all the time."

"I didn't... I wasn't..." He was, though, Nikko realises. And if Cal's noticed that he hasn't been his usual lively self, Nikko's going to have to be a hell of a lot more careful. Why his father or Vincent haven't called him on it he doesn't know. "It's just this is heavy stuff, and I didn't know how to tell you."

"Since when has that ever stopped you?"

Nikko's first instinct is to bitch back, because that hurt. Possibly because up to a few months ago it was true, Nikko would have jumped in with both feet and not cared too much if he hurt Cal in the process. That was then; now he does care, and he can hear the bitterness in Cal's voice, and that brings him up short. So this time he sucks it up, lets Cal win the point. All he says is, "You had a lot on your mind. This wouldn't have helped."

Cal is still for a moment. "Sophie?" he asks, almost so quietly that Nikko doesn't hear him. Nikko nods. Words somehow seem unnecessary.

Cal sighs and hugs himself, and Nikko can't help but reach out and pat him on the shoulder. "You didn't need me dropping this on you then," he says.

"Maybe I did," Cal says. "Maybe the distraction..." He trails off, then sighs again. "Sorry man, you didn't deserve that."

Nikko grins. "I probably deserved it for something else, so let's call it quits."

Cal shakes his head and looks at Nikko properly for the first time in their whole conversation. Nikko is unreasonably pleased to see a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You probably do," he says. "And what's with all the... crap."

Nikko is thrown for a moment, until he realises Cal is looking past him. He turns to see two cars making their slow way out to the dig.

"Vincent! We've got company!"


End file.
